Shot to the Heart
by LoveAngel1705
Summary: A case brings Tony back to NCIS from his days as an agent afloat, and forces him to deal with his issues. It also helps the team understand him a little more, especially Ziva. TIVA! Slight McAbby but not the focus...
1. Meet the Family

I own nothing just so you know.

NCIS

"Sir….I mean Gibbs…I mean… Boss! Over here!" Keating stuttered out, after opening the door to the interrogation room unintentionally breaking one of Gibbs' ever-encompassing rules: interrupting an interrogation.

If it wasn't for the fact that he had gotten absolutely nothing out of the mouth of the fourteen year old girl that still seemed to be in shock.

The cops had come to the girls' house to find the girl holding a bat. Her step-father, a petty officer, lay dead in front of her gripping a golf club that had been used to beat the girl's mother to death.

They knew little about her, but all they needed was her story. No one would convict a kid for protecting their mother the only way they knew how.

Her name was Alexis Tonia Coffman. She had not said a word since she was found.

"Boss, you're never going to believe this." Keating continued, but Gibbs just glared at him. "The birth certificate names her father."

"You pulled me out of an interrogation for the name of her father, Keating?" Aggravation was clear in his voice, and Gibbs was now realizing just how much he missed his team. These three just didn't cut it.

"Just look." Langer said, backing up the genius.

Gibbs snatched the birth certificate determined to see just what had these two 'up in arms'.

He looked to the line that said father, simply to appease them, but stopped short at the name.

Anthony DiNozzo.

Gibbs turned around and marched straight into the interrogation room.

"I need to know who to call to come get you." Gibbs said, hoping to figure out what was going on here, "Should I call your father?"

"Father?" she whispered, "It's always been me and mom. Michael hurt mom. I'm alone now."

"So you don't know Anthony DiNozzo?"

Lexi's eyes jumped up, but she was in too much shock to make the connection between the name and her father, "That's the name. Mom always said if something ever came up to find DiNozzo. Tony DiNozzo I think. Mom said I could trust him."

"DiNozzo is a friend of mine, and your mom is right. He can be trusted, and he'd tell you to trust me too. Can you tell me what happened?"

"She was lying on the floor and not moving, but he was still swinging that club at her, and I yelled stop, and he just kept swinging. I don't remember anything else, but the paramedics saying she was dead. Did I hurt Michael?"

Gibbs slowly and very gently told the girl, "Petty Officer Michael Rainer died in surgery two hours ago."

Gibbs saw the water pooling in her eyes, "I killed him? No, I just wanted him to stop hurting mom. I didn't kill him. I couldn't have killed him."

There was nothing that was going to make the girl feel better, except maybe rest. Gibbs offered his hand to the teenager, "Come on, I'm going to take you down to Abby's lab. You'll like her, and I want you to lie down and try to rest, okay?"

She just nodded and minutes later, Abby had a mini-cot set up for the kid, "Gibbs,"

"I'll tell you later Abs. Right now, I have to go to M-TAC it's important." With that, she heard the ding of an elevator before it closed.

NCIS

Anthony DiNozzo fingered the glass holding the liquor he had been drinking since right after Jenny's death. Two and a half months later, he still sat drinking, trying to forget. It didn't help the least bit that he was trapped on this ship, and everyone he cared about was somewhere that was else.

At the knock on the door to his 'office,' he once again hid the bottle before the sailor came in the door. "Is something wrong, Captain?"

"Agent Gibbs needs you to video conference him." DiNozzo basically got up and ran in hopes that Gibbs had found a way to get him back home.

"DiNozzo, pack your bags now." Tony smiled to see his boss, the first familiar face in months.

"I'm going home. You did it. I owe you Boss."

"Don't get your hopes up DiNozzo. This is about a case. I haven't been able to get more than temporary leave out of Vance yet."

"Just as long as I get to blow this pop stand, I'm not going to complain." Tony said, with a big DiNozzo smile on his face before running to pack his stuff.

The last thing he packed were the pictures of his NCIS family. It took a few seconds staring at Jenny's picture before throwing in the bag, along with the ones of Gibbs, McGee, and Abby's pictures.

Finally he pulled down the ones of Ziva from the beach that she had insisted Probie needed to burn, forgetting that Tony could keep his own copy from the camera.

With all his stuff packed, DiNozzo hopped aboard the aircraft, almost literally, ecstatic to be going home.

NCIS

Tony knew better than to enter the Naval Yard without going to see Abby first. The flight had taken several hours, and knowing Gibbs he hadn't even let Abby know he was coming yet.

At the ding of the elevator, Tony stepped out to hear music, but not the kind Abby to which usually listened, and a small voice sang along with the Avril Lavigne in a slightly off-tune voice. Tony watch for a minute before Abby noticed him standing there.

"TONY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Abby nearly squealed as latched herself to her friend. "I missed you!"

"Abs…need…to… breathe…" he squeaked as he tried to take in breaths.

"Oh yeah. Gibbs got you back. Yay!!!!!!!"

Tony heard the little girl whisper, "She's like the Energizer bunny on speed…"

He chuckled to himself, "and you are?"

She stuck a hand out to shake his, "Lexi Coffman."

Abby saw his eyes widen slightly, "Do you know Madison Coffman?"

Lexi just nodded, "My mom. They still haven't let me see her."

"Mom? Maddie has a kid?" Tony nearly rasped, and if Abby didn't know any better, she would've sworn Tony looked like an arrow had been shot through his shoulder.

"You know my mom?" She quizzed him, only to receive a slow nod, before he said, "Yeah, we dated a long time ago. Tony DiNozzo. If you want to see her, I'll take you to her."

Abby noticed the slight quiver in his voice, before asking, "You have gone to see Bossman yet, have you?" At his nod, she simply said, "I'm not sure Ducky is completely done."

Tony gulped, "I'll see if Ducky is finished, you want to come with me? You'll have to wait outside until I say it is okay, but Ducky is a good friend of mine."

Lexi nodded and followed Tony; her mom had told her she could trust this man.

NCIS

_So that is how I met my father, and through these last six months I have really gotten to know him. It wasn't long before I was calling him dad, and we were watching movies well into the night. I asked him about his family about a week after mom's funeral, but his response was, "The team at NCIS is my family."_

_Vance reinstated both dad and Uncle Tim to the team after Gibbs brought caught Agent Lee in the act of treason. Vance had even tried to get back the other teammate, Ziva David. I have been told so much about her, but her father, the Director of Mossad told the Director of NCIS that she was deep undercover. _

_No matter how many times they have tried, they have been unable to bring her back._

_I only know what I've been told of her, but the others have quickly become a part of me._

_Aunt Abby, as she had been for about three months was so cool. She is just like everything I've always imagined an older sister or aunt to be. _

_Uncle Tim was one of the most intelligent and caring men I had ever met. I started calling him Uncle Tim around the same time as I started calling Abby my aunt. _

_Gibbs stayed Gibbs, except when I really want to get his attention. So far, I have yet to ask __**Uncle Gibbs**__ something without getting it. It worked better than a puppy face. Dad would never admit this aloud, but he thinks of Gibbs as a father figure in his life._

_Jimmy is hard to explain. He's kind of that odd cousin that weasels his way into your heart and one day you wake up and realize that you love him just like you would an older brother. He wasn't someone that could be overlooked, even if he was really socially awkward._

_Ducky is like the grandfather, probably patriarch if I understood the definition correctly when the teacher told me yesterday. He takes care of everyone, and so far spoils me almost as much as Dad, Gibbs, or Aunt Abby._

_As much as I've never met Ziva, she's still somehow a part of my life. Abby bugs Vance and Gibbs about bringing her back all the time. McGee has told me so many stories of their missions and cases together. Dad barely mentions her, but I really think there's something behind that that I don't really know about. _

_That was when I found a piece of my dad's journal, about two months ago, and stopped wondering so much what the problem was. It was obvious. Dad still doesn't know that I know, and would probably kill me for going through his stuff._

_According to the journal, he felt guilty for a couple of things. One of those was about former Director Jenny Sheppard whom I know very little about. The wounds still seem to be too recent, and I know that I don't want to talk about my mom, so I guess it makes sense._

_The second was the part that dad probably didn't want me to know. On the night that Director Vance separated the team, dad had gotten really drunk with Ziva. They had also made love that night. _

_I don't know if Dad is in love with her, but I do know he really misses her, and prays in Italian every night for her to come back._

_I have really got to go. Dad planned a movie night for us, apparently we're watching some 'cinematic masterpiece.' _

_Hope Dad never gets a hold of this, because I think it would be bad._

_Always _

_Lexi_


	2. Unreachable

I own nothing just so you know. Wow! I was overwhelmed by the reviews and story alerts. Thank you all for the reviews.

NCIS

Gibbs smiled at the girl sitting at his desk, "We've got a case Lexi. You alright here?"

"I'll be fine. See you when you get back."

"Be good kid!"

Lexi just smiled before taking the steps down to see her aunt Abby downstairs. "Hey dad, Gibbs has a case. He's probably about to ca…"

As she spoke, DiNozzo got the call, "On my way Boss."

Tony turned to her, "I love you, stay with Abs, ok? Jimmy will take you take you home after a while. I'll be home around 9 k?"

Lexi smiled, "Of course. Love you dad."

With that DiNozzo left Abby's lab to work on his next case. Lexi turned and Abby smiled, before cranking up the music. Lexi danced around to the music, not caring how bad she was at it.

NCIS

McGee looked at Tony, "How's it going with Lexi?"

"I don't know, Probie. Sometimes I wonder if she even likes it and other times she seem so happy."

"She's a teenager Tony. As much I love my sister, Sarah was a terror from 14 to 16." McGee offered a little encouragement.

"She lost her mom, McGoo. How am I supposed to take her place?"

"No one's expecting you to take her place. You're her dad."

"Who was never there for her. I always said I would never do what my father did to me to my kid."

"Far from the same thing Tony."

Gibbs finally joined the conversation from his place at the wheel, "DiNozzo, you are doing as well as you can, now get to work, both of you."

NCIS

Jimmy Palmer on the couch, Tony was running late. It was 9:30, and he was supposed to pick up a date at 9:45.

"You do know I'm 14, almost 15, right? I can wait for my dad by myself. I don't need a babysitter, and you've got a date. I'll lock the doors; make sure no one gets in. Uncle Tim and Gibbs should be home by now, and their phone numbers are programmed into my phone." Lexi told him.

Lexi had tried for almost ten minutes to get Palmer to just leave her alone, and she had finally thought of a new angle. It was sneaky and devious, a plan her step-father would completely despise.

"Lexi, Tony'd kill me."

"You want to go on your date right?"

Jimmy was getting annoyed they had been going in circles for so long that he didn't even try to hide the annoyance in his voice. She was DiNozzo's daughter for certain. No one else could be quite that annoying. "Yes, but I…"

"So how about I call Uncle Probie. If he says he's coming over, somebody will be here and you can go. He only lives about five minutes away from here."

Jimmy smiled, "Okay."

Lexi picked up my phone and dialed his number, but instead of pressing send I pressed end. "Uncle Tim…yea….ok…well dad's not home and Jimmy's got a date, could you come watch me so Mr. Uptight here can quit freaking…you will….thank you Uncle Timmy…yeah yeah I've been spending too much time with Abby…see you in a minute…"

"He's coming."

"Yeah, he is. Go get your date."

"See you later."

"Bye Jimmy."

Lexi burst out laughing at Jimmy's naivety. If it had been any of the others, they would've waited on McGee.

Forty five minutes later, Lexi heard the engine turn off. She looked outside, expecting to see her dad and his car. She hadn't expected to see a small car that wasn't her father's and a blond haired woman picking the locks to the house.

Lexi immediately pressed the speed dial for her dad's number, only to jump at the sound of the cell phone ringing in the hallway where he wasn't.

_Just an absolutely lovely day for him to forget his phone. _

She turned to the person next closest to the house, before dialing McGee's number. The blonde was having a little bit of trouble getting the lock picked over her slightly pregnant stomach….

"Pick up! Pick up!" She whispered into the phone. She was so glad when she finally heard her uncle's voice.

_Hey Lexi! Is everything ok?_

"Dad's not home, and he left his cell, and someone's trying to get in the house. She's picking the lock. What do I do?"

_Lexi grab something around you can use as a weapon and tell me when you have it._

Lexi could hear him grabbing keys as she shuffled around and finally found a piece of furniture she could swing, as she heard the door creak open.

"I got it."

_Now calm down, I am coming to get you and calling Gibbs on the way for back. I need you to do something for me. Hide in the closet Lexi. Don't come out until you hear or see me or Gibbs._

"Ok. Hurry." She spoke shakily, knowing she could hear the woman somewhere in the house. She quickly jumped into the closet, grasping onto her make-shift weapon like she did her teddy bear when she was six and swore there were monsters under the bed that wanted to swallow her whole.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the house, the woman walked into the kitchen to grab whatever leftovers she could find.

The house was different than she remembered it. It had more stuff, less room. She had been surprised to find that it was more picked up and organized than usual as well.

It had only been six months, but Ziva still felt safer here than anywhere. Tony's car hadn't been in the driveway, and she knew it would be okay once he saw it was her inside.

Ziva took off the blonde wig, and heard a door closing in the back of the house. _Is another person in his house?_

Ziva slowly made her way through the hall corridor, wig firmly back in place, noticing new trinkets on the way. She checked Tony's bedroom first, and was tempted to yell, "CLEAR." She had really missed both her job and NCIS.

Next she headed toward the guest room. Then she would check the bathroom. Before she got there, though, a loud voice cut through and stopped in her tracks.

"Federal Agent. Hold it right there." She knew that voice, the voice of a boy that's innocence reminded her so much of Tali.

"McGee, it's just me. Someone else is in the house though," she told him, once again pulling off the wig.

"Ziva?" He breathed. "You're back." He nearly yelled before enveloping her in a hug. "We've missed you, but what are you doing breaking into Tony's house?"

"I had to go somewhere to be safe, Tim, and this is where I feel safe. They would have checked at Gibbs' house first, but I thought that Tony would not be their first choice, yes?"

"What kind of trouble are you in Ziva? My father knows the father of this baby is American, even if he does not know whose child it is. He sent men to come find me, and terminate the baby. He insisted I would thank him one week."

"Day Ziva, Thank him one day."

"Whatever. We need to find out who's in Tony's house while he is not here."

McGee holstered his gun, while Gibbs, who had walked in sometime while Ziva was explaining, grabbed her gun away from her.

McGee opened the door to Lexi's bedroom, before going to her closet. "Hey Lexi."

"Can I come out now? I don't like small spaces." Gibbs was the one to open the door and help her out.

"Where is Tony?"

"I don't know he was supposed to be back at 9, but by 9:30 I convinced Jimmy I'd be fine until he got back. He should've been home a couple hours ago."

Gibbs looked a little bit pissed, so nobody even questioned it when he flipped open the phone, and the next room over Tony's cell rang.

McGee stood up and grabbed Lexi, "I'll take her with me to NCIS Boss. You take Ziva. Lexi, call Abs."

Ziva looked slightly confused, _since when did McGee ever take charge of the situation?_

Gibbs just nodded and led Ziva out to the car, while Ziva finally had enough of all the frustration, "What is going on here Gibbs? Tony is probably on a date. Why are we going to NCIS? Who was that girl? And since when did McGee start ordering people around?"

Gibbs stopped her before he got to the car, "A lot of things have changed since you went off on that Mossad mission Ziva."

"Mission? Gibbs, my father had me locked in my room with armed guards two weeks after I arrived to Israel, from the second he knew I was pregnant." Gibbs eyes narrowed angrily, sometimes he really wondered how parents could not love and adore their kids. There was little to nothing he wouldn't give up to have her alive and well.

"Car, Ziva." He ordered.

NCIS

Lexi sat at Tony's desk, waiting on Gibbs and Ziva to come through the door. McGee and Abby were sitting at the other desks waiting on the same thing.

"Where is dad anyway? He should've been home hours ago." Lexi asked McGee, only to be answered by a voice behind him.

"What are you doing here, Lexi? You're supposed to be at home with Jimmy." Tony questioned.

He didn't notice Abby until he felt the punch to his shoulder. "You were supposed to be home an hour and a half ago."

He didn't notice the ding of the elevator or Gibbs and Ziva stepping out of the elevator.

"No, I have the alarm set on my phone, so I won't lose track of time."

"You mean this phone dad?" Lexi's sarcasm sent Tony reeling as he noticed that it was 11.

Gibbs hand hit the back of his head almost as Lexi said it, "Never be unreachable, DiNozzo."

"Never again Boss! Why is everyone here? It's late."

McGee just pointed to Ziva, "Lexi got scared and called me when she Ziva, with a blonde wig, breaking into your apartment."

"That's not funny Probie." He answered, not yet having seen Ziva.

Ziva stood directly behind him, "Hello Tony." Tony immediately jumped, and reflexively said, "How many times do I have…Ziva?"

Lexi smiled at the way Tony hugged Ziva. The woman looked surprised at first, but soon relaxed a bit into it.


	3. Protection Detail

I own nothing just so you know. Wow! I was overwhelmed by the reviews and story alerts. Thank you all for everything.

NCIS

"DiNozzo. NOW!" Tony dutifully followed into Gibbs' personal office, while the others stayed in the squad room.

"Why were you here and not at home?" Gibbs said as he flipped the emergency stop switch.

"I get my best work done at night," Tony told his boss, only to receive a glare that made him squirm every time his boss gave it to him.

"Okay, so I needed a little break. I've only known about Lexi for six months Boss, and what little time I'm not working I'm with her. Don't get me wrong, she's a blessing, but sometimes I just wish it could go back to the way it was."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized what he said, "No, that's not what I mean…"

"DiNozzo." Gibbs' voice stopped him short. "That's normal, but next time make sure she has someone close."

"Jimmy was there and she's not 6."

"Jimmy wasn't there when she called McGee panicked. She's not any normal kid Tony. You are a special agent."

"What do you mean Palmer wasn't there?!?"

NCIS

Timothy McGee looked between the teenager and the Mossad Officer.

Experience told him not to ask difficult questions of Ziva without either Tony or Gibbs close by to either save him or distract her. So, for the moment, McGee ignored the obvious pregnancy.

Instead, McGee turned to Lexi. "Why were you alone at Tony's, Alexis?"

"You're Ziva then, right? Ziva David?" McGee just answered, annoyed at her completely ignoring him.

"Lexi, why were you alone?"

"I'd like to know the same thing," Tony said as he rounded the corner, poking at his phone. Palmer wasn't answering.

"The Ziva that everyone talks about?" Lexi continued, ignore both her father and uncle.

Tony sat down right in front of her, "Yes that Ziva, now where the hell was Palmer?"

Alexis's face looked at her father, trying to figure out why he had been so emphatic about this. "All you had to do was ask. Jimmy had a date, and he was about to miss it."

Tony's eyes widened a bit, before he bit out, "He left you alone for a date."

"Not exactly, I kind of pretending to call him," she said, pointing to McGee, "and convinced Jimmy to go on that Uncle Tim would be over in a few minutes. It wasn't Jimmy's fault."

"Uncle Tim?!?" Ziva's voice brought Tony back to the room.

"Ziva, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Antonia Alexis Coffman."

Ziva was genuinely surprised. Of all the things she had imagined since she heard the door in the back of her partner's house, this hadn't even occurred to her.

"It is nice to meet you Alexis."

"Glad to put a face to the name, you've been missed around here. They talk about you all the time. I'm going to leave you and dad to talk. Come on Uncle Tim, we can go listen to music in Aunt Abby's lab." She grabbed both McGee and Gibbs by the hand and basically pulled them down to the lab.

NCIS

"You have a daughter, Tony?" Ziva asked trying to hide the fact that she was completely thrown off-balance by this development.

"Yea, it's new. Her mother and stepfather died and I was on the birth certificate. Abby even checked the DNA. She's my daughter with a woman I was with in high school and college."

"She is a pretty girl, yes?"

"And too smart for her own good." DiNozzo added, before asking and trying not to look as uncomfortable as he felt. "How did the mission go?"

Tony had learned several things as an agent afloat.

He didn't do well with death.

He was on the verge of being a drunk when the guilt for what happened to Kate and Paula happened to Jenny too.

He realized that Abby and McGee had become his closest friends, because he missed them greatly the whole time he was on the ships.

Gibbs was the closest thing he had to a father in his life, and Tony saw just how much he needed that.

Most of all, though, Anthony DiNozzo realized he had never been in love with Jeanne Benoit. Jeanne was not the woman that he prayed for on the long nights when he was drowning in his own guilt.

"Gibbs asked the same thing. Is that what NCIS was told? I was on a mission for Mossad?" Ziva questioned. She had yet to stand up and Tony had not seen that she was pregnant.

"That's what Vance said, but I don't trust that guy as far as the Autopsy Gremlin could throw him," Tony answered showing that he was a little upset that Jimmy left Lexi alone.

"Tony," Ziva said, standing where Tony finally saw that she was pregnant, "When Abba found out I was pregnant, he locked me in a room with guards. It took months for me to get out. Mossad is coming after me. I thought I could hide in your house, but apparently…"

"We'll make room." Tony cut her off.

"You are just getting to know your daughter Tony. I cannot get in the path of that."

"Way," Tony added automatically. "Lexi's a smart kid, and I'm sure she won't mind." _Not that that would make much of a difference if Ziva's in danger._

"I can find somewhere else Tony."

"Not a chance Zee-vah." It was almost easy to fall back into their normal bickering.

NCIS

Alexis watched Tony and Ziva interact from behind the stairs. They seemed to fit perfectly. She had been told by Abby just how well they worked together, and McGee said one without the other was pretty much insufferable.

Lexi knew it was selfish, but part of her wanted to latch onto her dad and not let go. Everything that happened to her mother just made her want to grab onto the only family she had left and never let go.

She knew now what she had guessed from the journal entry. Her dad, Tony DiNozzo, was in love with Ziva David.

Ziva looked nice enough, and she had heard so much from everyone from Abby to Ducky. The problem came in the fact that the last time she had someone romantically involved with a parent he killed her mother.

When they had left the squad room, Uncle Tim had expressed wildly how annoyed he was that she had ignored him. Lexi had simply told him she didn't hear him, and it wasn't a lie. She hadn't quite told her new family everything about her yet.

Especially the full extent of what had actually gone on with her step-father. They didn't know that he had deafened her one night in the middle of his rage, not completely, but there were certain things that she just could not hear.

Her doctor said that she was going to slowly lose her hearing. He had nearly destroyed her eardrums. She was already getting better at reading lips.

She'd also asked Abby to help her learn sign language under the slim chance that she might meet Abby's parents someday.

No one knew she had as much trouble as she did, especially when her dad starting ranting about some movie. He spoke way too quickly for her to catch everything.

NCIS

Gibbs had been calling out to Lexi from behind her for a couple of minutes. Sometimes he wondered if she inherited the DiNozzo gene for daydreaming or if there was something more going on with her.

He finally sat down beside the teenager, "What are you looking at, Lexi?"

She smiled, "You're not going to give them a lecture about one of your infamous rules, are you Uncle Gibbs?"

"Should I?" Gibbs asked, probing her like he did Abs when she was upset.

"They love each other." Gibbs stare told her to go on. "Is she coming back to work at NCIS?"

"Right now, no. She's going to be in protective custody, but it can't be with me. I took her last time. They will look at my place first. So, it goes to either your dad or Tim."

"Dad would be better at protection detail right?" Gibbs nodded a little. "Well then I'll sleep on the couch tonight."

"Lexi?" Gibbs voice always seemed to ask questions and somehow she understood this one. He'd been watching her closely and most everything she understood was by staring at his lips.

Lexi chose to ignore the question, and pretend he was asking something else. The best defense is the easiest: deny, deny, deny.

"I'm okay with it, Gibbs. They obviously care for each other. It's in the way they interact. A two year old could figure it out. Anything else would be really selfish. It's okay."

Somehow she knew she was trying to convince herself rather than her dad's father-figure.

Gibbs shouted down to the squad room. "DiNozzo, protection detail. Go home. It's one a.m. and your daughter has school tomorrow."


	4. Abduction

I own nothing just so you know. Wow! I was overwhelmed by the reviews and story alerts. Thank you all for everything.

I'm sorry this chapter took so long and is so short, but it is kind of a chapter to set up the plot. It took me longer to update, because I was busy in Denver winning the championship for Women's wheelchair basketball. It has been an amazing week for me and the rest of my team.

NCIS

A week had passed since Ziva had moved in, and Tony immediately had her move into his room, insisting that it would be easier to protect her that way. Even if Ziva insisted she didn't need help, Tony made sure to keep her close.

It had taken two days before Lexi had gotten Ziva to let her know that the baby was really Tony's baby. She had yet to tell him that though, and Lexi wasn't about to tell him about it, until she did.

Tony and Ziva had began to spend more and more time together, and Lexi could not believe that they thought she didn't know what they were doing during the night.

She was immensely grateful that she was partially deaf then too.

Lexi walked in from school, obviously unheard by the other two occupants of the house.

"You slept with many women, Tony, yes?" Ziva asked. This was not really anything Lexi wanted to hear so she began to head away, but the mention of her mother brought her back into the room knowing she missed a part of the conversation.

"….Lexi's mother was monogamous and it was when I was young."

"Yet, you are just now taking responsibility for your child Tony. What should I think? Were you even going to take care of her?"

"I didn't know I had a daughter Ziva. I don't know why she didn't tell me, but she didn't. Now, I'm dealing with a kid that I don't always understand." Lexi tried not to let herself cry, but the next words sent her running out the door, "Sometimes I think I should've sent her to live with a couple who could love her…"

Running out the door, she didn't hear the rest of what her father said, "…better than I ever could. Lexi deserves better. I don't know how to help her, make it better for her."

Ziva felt sympathy for him, and commented, "From what I can see, Tony, you are a great father to Lexi. What I want to know is why you have not asked me about who the father of my child is, Tony."

Tony turned away, knowing now was as good of a time as any, "I didn't want to know, Ziva. I didn't want to know who you slept with to be pregnant. I sound like one of the men off the Lifetime movies."

Ziva walked up to Tony, before grabbing his hand, gently leading him over to his couch. "Tony, this is difficult to say. You are…the…last person…" She breathed in deeply. "Tony, this child is yours. I am holding your baby."

For once, Tony was too shocked to correct her phrasing. "I'm…the…Ziva? I'm going to be a father?"

"Again, yes?"

A smile spread across his face. "I love you, Ziva David." Ziva was surprised to be pulled into an Abby-esque hug before he kissed her deeply.

NCIS

"Abby? Turn down the noise."

"This isn't my lab, Gibbs, and it's not noise it is music." Gibbs leveled her with a single look.

"Abs, I need you to look into something, quietly."

"Anything for you, my silver haired fox. What do you need, Bossman?"

Gibbs couldn't stop the chuckle before it made its way into a small smile.

"Abby, I need you to check Lexi's hearing." Abby turned to Gibbs, shocked.

"What's wrong Gibbs?" The concern in her voice made Gibbs gently kiss her on the forehead in fatherly affection, just as he would've done with Kelly, had she still been alive.

"I think Lexi isn't telling us that she's partially deaf, and until I know for sure I don't want to scare DiNozzo."

"What makes you think that Gibbs? That famous gut of yours?"

Gibbs sent her a crooked smile, before leaving her apartment as quickly and quietly as he came.

NCIS

Alexis Coffman was in tears, walking the park. Her mother loved her, and took care of her up until her step-father came into the picture.

Lexi had thought it would be different with her real dad, and sure he wasn't beating the crap out of her on a daily basis, but her dad wasn't ready to take care of her.

Plus, Ziva and him were going to have a baby. He was going to be better off without her, she thought.

Abby saw Lexi, and began yelling to get her attention, especially when she saw the tears, but Lexi never even looked up at her. _Maybe Gibbs is right, _Abby thought.

Once she got close enough, she pulled her 'niece' into a hug. "What's wrong, Lexi?"

She had barely pulled away, before she felt something hard hit the back of her head. While she felt herself falling to the floor, she saw a cloth being placed over Lexi's mouth. Soon they were both unconscious. One lay on the ground, blood pouring from an open wound, while the other was hefted onto the back of an unknown man.

NCIS

Timothy McGee had been working for hours on the next story in his series. His phone rang. ABBY appeared on his screen, but it wasn't her voice to answer.

"Who is this?" Tim said, suddenly a bit worried.

"Do you know a Miss Abigail Scioto?"

"Who are you? Where's Abby?"

"I'm a paramedic son, and you were the number 1 on her speed dial. Meet us at…"

Tim stopped him mid-sentence, "Take her to Bethesda, I'll meet you there."

Tim grabbed his keys, and called Gibbs, as he headed to the hospital.

NCIS

Tony pulled himself away from Ziva's lips at the ring of his cell. Gibbs name signaled that he needed to pick it up, so he did.

"Agent Keating is meeting you at the park. Process the scene and report back when I get there. Tell Ziva to stay at the apartment with Lexi."

He didn't hear the dial tone until after he asked, "What's wrong Boss?"

He rolled his eyes, before saying, "On it, Boss," as if he had been Gibbs-slapped.

"Ziva, Gibbs wants me to process a scene, and told me to make sure you and Lexi stay here."

"I heard, Tony."

"LEXI!" Tony yelled, only to not receive an answer.

"I will tell her, Tony, just go. Let me know what is happening."

Ziva kissed him gently on his cheek, before he left.


	5. David or David?

I own nothing just so you know.

You're reviews, alert, and favorites are appreciated. I'm glad to know that you are happy with this story.

NCIS

Lexi felt herself waking, but took several seconds trying to remember what had happened. She knew she had been talking with Abby, but after that things were slightly fuzzy.

Alexis had seen more than a few movies, growing greatly since she had met her father, and she saw this scenario many times. The younger DiNozzo couldn't see through the blindfold, and tasted the adhesive the moment she moved her tongue.

Attempting to move her arms and legs proved her theory right. Someone had kidnapped her. Once again, she cursed her step-father for his 'little lesson' when she realized that someone had obviously asked her something and retaliated violently at her non-response.

The slap made her want to scream, and was followed someone using her hair backwards. The man's voice yelled in her ear. The voice was muffled, just like her music usually sounded over the last few months or so.

She laughed to herself, realizing that even if she wanted to do so, she couldn't have responded. These guys were either brutal or stupid.

She could only hope it was the latter.

NCIS

Abby woke up to see her Timmy standing over her. She could also see Gibbs lurking in the corner.

"What happened?" She questioned groggily.

"A jogger found you unconscious in the park. It looks like someone hit you in the back of the head. Tony's looking over the scene, swearing he's going to kill whoever did this. How are you feeling?" McGee asked.

"I'm tired and my head hurts. There's something though. I know there is something hinky. It's nibbling at the back of my head. Something that I need…"

"Abs." Gibbs cut her off, "You're okay. We'll find whoever did this and…."

"Lexi!" Abby nearly screamed, and immediately both men turned to her.

"Oh no! I was talking to Lexi. Where is she? Is she okay? Can I see her?" Abby continued to ramble. McGee went to comfort Abby while Gibbs pulled out his cell phone.

NCIS

Ziva David walked down the hall to Lexi's room. She had seen her walk in while she had been working up the courage to tell Tony that he was going to be her father.

"Lexi, do you want something to eat for supper?"

Ziva didn't hear any movement and thought that she may have been sleeping. Ziva opened the door slightly just to check.

No one was there, and it was 1930h.

Something was wrong. The pregnant assassin pulled her phone and dialed the first number on her speed dial, Tony DiNozzo.

NCIS

Anthony DiNozzo was getting frustrated. He had gone over the scene slowly and meticulously. There was absolutely nothing that showed what happened to his surrogate sister, not to mention, no word had come that Abby was okay from his boss.

Ziva's number appeared on his cell when his phone began ringing. "Ziva, hey. Abby's hurt and there is nothing here to show what's happened. Sorry…"

Tony ignored her trying to cut him off, saying, "Tony."

"…about not calling but I'm trying to find anything to tell me who hit Abby over the head, and…"

"Tony…"

"Ziva, I'll call you back. Boss is calling and you know his rule about being unreachable…"

He missed the frustrated scream from Ziva as she dialed his number once again.

"DiNozzo."

"Tony," Gibbs said in a gentle voice, cluing his agent in on the fact that he needed to brace himself for bad news.

"Abby's alright, right Boss?"

"Abby's awake, Tony, and she told us what she remembers about the man hitting her over the head."

Tony ignored Ziva's call, "Okay, Boss. Anything we can…"

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs' bark of authority caught his attention.

"What Boss?"

"Abby was talking to Lexi when she was knocked unconscious. Where is your daughter, DiNozzo?" His voice had softened as he delivered the blow.

Tony hit end and answered the next call from Ziva, "Ziva, where is Alexis?"

"That is what I was trying to say, she is not here. I went to see what she wanted to have to eat and she was not there."

Tony breathed in deeply. "My daughter's been kidnapped, Ziva."

He didn't even try to stop the tear from falling down his face, before reverting back to the mask that growing up with his father taught him how to do.

In mere seconds, Tony went from grieving father to vengeful agent, knowing that was exactly what his daughter needed from him.

NCIS

Lexi screamed out as she felt the tape being ripped off her lips, before telling the man on no uncertain terms, "If you want me to answer one of your questions, take the damn blindfold off."

She could hear his mumbling, but couldn't make it into words. She desperately needed to see his lips to know what he was saying.

It took seconds before she was once again slapped across the face.

"Take off the blindfold and maybe I could answer your questions, moron. I'm partially deaf. I have no idea what you are saying to me."

She expected something to happen, anything. She expected pain, torture, or maybe the off-chance that he would take off the blindfold to get the answers. What Alexis didn't expect was the deafening silence as she was left in the room to stew, not even hearing the rustling she had when she first woke up.

"Hello! Anyone there? Someone wanna help me out here? I've got school tomorrow. Hey moron. Yeah you. Where are you?"

She had been afraid of the silence for years, ever since she began to lose her hearing. It was why she always listened to music. Lexi had tried to memorize every voice she came in contact with, hoping that one day she could add it to the lips when she did eventually go deaf.

Hours later, she felt someone undo whatever was holding her legs together. Alexis was then lead elsewhere to another room.

The man sat her down, once again, tying her legs before removing the blindfold.

Lexi took in as much about the man as she could. Short, spiky, dark brown hair, brown eyes, and he looked like some of the men in Ziva's photo album that she had taken one afternoon when she was bored.

Being able to read lips made all the difference, the man was asking where Officer Ziva David was.

Alexis had a plan, and one that was definitely going to show that she was Tony DiNozzo's kid. Inwardly she smiled at her own genius. Her hearing impairment may actually work out to her advantage here.

"Who would name their kid Ziva David?" She pronounced Ziva's last name like American's used David in the Star of David.

"Not David," the man said, before trying to hold out the 'eee' sound when saying, "David."

"You didn't say David David. You said Ziva David. I'm assuming Ziva's a girl's name."

"No, it's David" the man pronounced Ziva's name correctly before, "D-A-V-I-D"

All it took was a confused look from the teenager for the man to realize that it was spelled exactly the same.

"So, you're looking for a David David? Someone really needs to work on choosing his name." She knew that eventually the man would get angry and frustrated, but she also knew that gave her dad and Gibbs time to find her.

Lexi kept it going for a minute and a half, before the man put a gun against her head. She knew he was about ready to snap.

"Even if I did know this person, whoever it is, David or Ziva," she had to keep up appearances of ignorance. It was a good thing she was practiced at hiding things. "why would I give you a reason to kill me moron?"

"I'll kill you if you don't," spat the rough voice.

This time she smiled for real, "At least then I'll get to watch. I wonder who will kill you deader, Gibbs or my dad. They're both lethal when they need to be."


	6. Screeching Tires

I own nothing just so you know.

You're reviews, alert, and favorites are appreciated. I'm glad to know that you are happy with this story.

NCIS

Tony DiNozzo walked down the street, shock written on his face. He had it from two sources. His little Lexi was gone, and for once Tony had no idea what to do. There were no clues at the crime scene. He'd checked it over three more times after he found out his daughter was missing.

Now, DiNozzo was barely of the fact that he was walking toward the Navy Yard. Lost in his shock and fear, he missed the voice call after him from his own car, until Ziva had parked it and grabbed onto his shoulders.

She turned him around to face her, only to find dried tears and puffy red eyes. Ziva asked gently, "Where are you going Tony?"

Ziva had heard the despair in Tony's voice in the moment he put the phone down. She knew Gibbs would be pissed for leaving her 'safe house' to go find Tony, but it was something she had to do. She had a 'drowning' feeling in her stomach about this.

"You shouldn't be here, Ziva. I'm going to the Navy Yard, and I'm going to find and kill whoever took my…" Tony said, anger sliding to the surface more as he continued onward.

Ziva steered her boyfriend toward the passenger seat of the car and drove them both to the Navy Yard in silence. Neither really knew what to say or do here. Tony was the first to open his mouth, as they stepped onto the elevator.

"Zee, you don't need to be here. Who knows where your father is looking for you, and I don't want you hurt."

"I cannot sit and do nothing. I can take care of myself, Tony." Ziva answered

**NCIS**

Gibbs walked out of the hospital, finally assured that Abby was okay. He had practically dragged McGee away from Abby, but he needed someone to help with finding Lexi.

Gibbs wasn't quite sure that Tony could stay level headed about this.

Ten minutes and six ran red lights later; Gibbs and McGee stepped out of the elevator. Immediately, Jethro told McGee to get to work.

Meanwhile, he motioned for Tony and Ziva to follow him up to the Director's office, knowing he had no choice now but to involve Vance.

He was down to one fairly okay agent, no forensic scientists, and because Ducky was taking his mother to see her sister in Scotland, Palmer was the acting ME.

This whole situation could quickly turn into a disaster with a scared child at risk.

**NCIS**

Lexi woke to a black, empty room. Once the man realized that she was sending him in circles with Ziva's name, he decided the young girl needed to be punished.

For once in her life, Lexi was glad that her step-father had been such a violent person, because it prepared her a little for the man's violent behavior.

The man had yet to even ask her about her cell phone, but she had yet to be able to get a signal. She tried every time he walked out the room.

Once again, she pulled out the phone, turning it back on. Lexi had been turning it off to conserve the battery.

Lexi used her arms to pull herself around the room, pushing herself through the pain. She had almost made it all the way around the room when she got a single bar.

Lexi pressed her dad's speed dial. She hated talking on the phone, and knew this was going to be hard, but she had to try.

It hadn't even rung two times, when she started hearing the broken sounds that meant her dad was saying something.

"Daddy, they want me to say where Ziva is."

Her father's voice came through again, _"Le...kee…one…unc…prob…an…ace…call."_

It took her a few seconds to make something out of the garbled syllables. She came up with something along the lines of Lexi, keep on, Uncle Probie can trace call.

"I'm leaving it on dad."

"_Are…okay?"_

"I'm scared dad. I'm really scared."

"_I'll….there…Gibbs."_

"They're after Ziva dad. You have to protect her."

"_Will…Ziva…Prob…got…coming…"_

Lexi would be happy except that she looked up to find the man standing angrily in the door.

**NCIS**

Gibbs had left Vance's office only for his phone to ring. Ziva and Tony headed down to their desks. Vance had agreed to temporarily play interference between NCIS and Mossad over Ziva, and that gave him someone else to help, even if there was no way he was letting her into the field.

He opened the phone to hear Abby's concerned voice, "Gibbs, Gibbs, I remembered I was talking to Lexi and you were right Gibbs. I think she's at least partially deaf. She was staring at my lips the entire time I spoke, just like my mom and dad always did. Gibbs, she's got to be scared. So scared. You've got to find her Gibbs."

"Abs, I'll find her. She'll be okay. I promise. The best thing you could do for her right now is to feel better." Gibbs answered.

With that, he closed the phone, hearing McGee and DiNozzo scream up to him. McGee had apparently gotten a trace on Lexi's phone.

They had already grabbed their gear, and DiNozzo was holding the elevator, but he noticed that Ziva had geared up as well, about the same moment that Tony realized it.

Simultaneously, Gibbs, and Tony told, "Ziva, stay here."

Ziva David watched the door behind McGee, Tony, and Gibbs

**NCIS**

Alexis fought as hard as she could as the man drug her outside by her throbbing leg, from the knife the man used to stab her in the leg in frustration at her not telling him where Ziva was.

Her hands and legs were both tied with a chain and her phone had been destroyed. Alexis was drug out to the road and seconds later left unceremoniously next to a car for just long enough for the man to open the trunk.

She felt herself being hefted upward and struggled awkwardly trying to get out of the man's grasp. Nothing worked though, as she was stuffed into the trunk like a bag of luggage.

Almost immediately, the trunk latch closed, but not before her eyes caught her Uncle Gibbs' as he drove frantically toward the man's car.

She felt the rattle of the engine as it started before being thrown against the other side of the trunks. Lexi could only imagine the shrill sound of tires screeched as he ran from Gibbs.

That didn't matter though. Gibbs had found her. Her dad and Uncle Timmy wouldn't be much farther behind, if they weren't in the car with him.

She smiled, working on controlling her breathing.

She was safe.

Her dad was coming.

Her family was coming.


	7. In and Out

I own nothing just so you know.

You're reviews, alert, and favorites are appreciated. I'm glad to know that you are happy with this story.

_**NCIS**_

Lexi could feel herself struggling to breathe. The sounds from before had completely gone away. All she knew to do was to take shallow breaths only when necessary. She was scared, but had watched Tony enough over the months since her mother died enough to know that it was all about making it through.

Her family was doing their part, now it was her turn to do hers. She had never said a word about Ziva, knowing that her dad really did love her. It was in his eyes every time he saw her enter the room, in the tone when he spoke of her, in the way he called her 'sweet cheeks' when he thought his daughter wasn't paying attention.

She could imagine her mom's gentle voice, "Stay strong Alexis. Someone's coming. Just stay calm baby. Breathe in. Breathe out. In. Out. You'll be okay."

She was getting hot too, really hot. She was probably running a fever from best guess.

Her leg throbbed, pulsing from the still-untreated wound. Just as her body begged to be hydrated and fed.

Lexi knew her body was weakening, as she felt her eyelids droop slowly until her world was black.

_**NCIS**_

Tony watched as McGee and Gibbs took off to chase the kidnapper, which would normally be his job. McGee and he had arrived a minute or so after their Boss.

Tony inspected the building, room by room, closet by closet. His daughter was nowhere to be found. He was about to leave, when he found her broken phone crushed on the floor.

She had been in this room.

"She was here, wasn't she?" A familiar voice said behind him.

"You shouldn't be here Ziva."

"You did not think I could stand still while you were searching for your daughter?" She spoke gently, "We should check outside, maybe the car, yes?"

Tony grabbed Ziva's hand, "Stay behind me, Ziva." With that, he pulled out his gun, and went back outside.

The kidnapper wouldn't have left her out in the open, so that left the car. Once Tony and Ziva cleared the inside, Ziva went to picking the trunk's lock.

She opened it slowly, hoping she could prepare Tony if she needed. If this was a Mossad operation, they would've already found out where she was and disposed of the girl. It was all in the training.

The only way that it would not be would be if her father had contracted an assassin, so as to keep his name clean, and protect the reputation of Mossad.

Sure enough, Tony's daughter laid unconscious hands bound. Ziva saw blood drying and clotting in a leg wound that she knew from experience had been painful.

Overall though, she was okay. She was breathing, barely. "Tony she's okay, but I can't pick her up." Her pregnancy prevented her from even helping here.

"Lexi." Tony said, trying to waken his daughter. He began the rescue breathing, trying desperately to get her to open her beautiful green eyes, just long enough for him to see he was okay.

Tony saw his partner working to control the bleeding in her leg.

_**NCIS**_

"NCIS, freeze dirt bag." Gibbs shouted. The man stopped, and turned to point his gun at Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

"Give me a reason to shoot you." Gibbs responded to the unvoiced threat, seeing Tim coming up behind the man, gun at ready.

The suspect didn't seem to have an accomplice, but Gibbs and McGee knew better than to let their guard down.

McGee stood behind the kidnapper, "You're surrounded. There is no way out. Drop your weapon." McGee only prayed that the girl he'd come to love as a niece would be okay. Sarah would kill him if Lexi wasn't okay for their next outing.

Lexi had told him that Sarah was the only friend she had made close to her age. Most of the kids at her school hadn't taken well to her. If, no once, once Lexi got through this, he was going to help her change that.

The kidnapper pointed the gun directly at Gibbs, starting to pull the trigger back. Tim acted quickly, not even second-guessing himself as he shot three bullets through into his heart cavity.

The man fell to the ground, dead before he hit the ground. It was then that McGee realized that McGee had done the same as he had.

"There is one problem, Boss. If this guy is after Ziva, we need to make sure no one else is after her, Boss."

"One problem at a time McGee." The silver-haired man yelled over the sirens, opening his phone to call Ducky and Palmer to tell them to meet them at Bethesda.

McGee did the same, pushing the number one on his speed dial to inform Abby Scioto.

As they walked back toward the abandoned building and car, Gibbs called Director Vance to get another team to run the scene.

_**NCIS**_

Tony kept breathing for his daughter. He knew if he were Kate, he'd have said a prayer, but he wasn't Kate.

So Tony just kept on trying to breathe for the daughter he barely knew.

Ziva brought his attention to the sirens, "Tony, the medics are coming."

He heard Gibbs briefing Toothpick, and watched as his Probie stared at his bleeding and barely breathing daughter.

His father's voice pounded in his head, _DiNozzo men don't cry. _He tried to force down the tears, be a man. Ziva had once told him to do that. Suck it up and deal with the situation at hand.

The tears fell freely though at the very moment a small voice made its way to his ears, "Daddy?"

He knew it would be all right. His daughter was breathing and talking. He smiled, catching a ghost of a smile in Ziva's eyes.

The rest of the family would meet them at the hospital.

Gibbs voice cut through, "DiNozzo. With Lexi. Ziva, I gave you a direct order. McGee, drive Ziva to the hospital and don't let her out of your sight. We don't know this is over."

The familiarity brought them all back to reality and they quickly reverted into their normal roles, following the Boss's lead.


	8. To Hear

I own nothing just so you know.

You're reviews, alert, and favorites are appreciated. I'm glad to know that you are happy with this story.

_**NCIS**_

Lexi felt the room coming into focus, but she was horrified to find that there was no sound. She had feared this moment for years.

A man stood over her, in what could only be described as scrubs. She could see from his badge that he was a nurse.

Lexi could tell that he was trying to talk to her, but no sound penetrated her hearing.

Silence.

Deafening Silence.

Doctors were swarming her, trying to get her to talk to them, but all she wanted was to know was that this wasn't some trick the man had to get her to talk.

"Daddy." She couldn't even hear her own voice now. Her eyes were darting around, while the doctors continued to talk to her.

"Where's dad?" She finally concentrated all her attention on the main doctor's lips, hoping it would help. This time there was no intermittent sounds to help.

"Know…are…Do you…know…are?" She pieced together the best sentence she could from that. "In a hospital. Where's dad?"

"Special….DiNozzo…outside…Agent…Officer David…" She couldn't make a sentence out of that one, and the attempts to figure it out were not only grating on her nerves, but also quickly making her feel more exhausted. She felt her eyelids slide closed slowly, praying silently that she was safe.

**NCIS**

Upon seeing the doctor walk into the waiting room, Tony stood immediately. Ziva grabbed his arm before the nervous agent took off in a sprint after the Doctor. Tony had been a wreck in the three hours since they had gotten to the hospital.

Gibbs and McGee stood a step behind them, McGee holding onto a distraught Abby who had been released only an hour ago and refused to go home and rest.

Ducky came to stand beside Tony, ready to interpret if the doctor became too technical in his explanation, while Palmer stayed sitting and waiting in the chairs.

"Agent DiNozzo, your daughter awoke for a short time, but she is asleep once again. I think there may be an unforeseen complication, though. In addition to her leg and the fluid that built up in her lungs, I think there may have been a…"

"Just say it, Doc. I don't have time or energy for your medical jargon."

"I think there may have been some hearing loss. When we spoke to her, she didn't respond until she looked directly at our mouths as we spoke. Then, Miss Coffman responded."

Tony's eyes grew wide, and he began to speak but was cut off by Gibbs voice, "There is a possibility that was already an issue before she was kidnapped."

Tony turned immediately, almost angrily at Gibbs, "Boss?!?"

**NCIS**

Lexi opened her eyes again, but this time there were no doctors around. Instead, a dark-haired Israeli sat in front of her, wincing at something.

"Ziva, you okay." Ziva turned her head to me.

"I am fine. I am glad you are awake." She couldn't hear it, but Ziva had said it slowly.

"Where's dad?" She watched as her head turned toward the door, and she said something.

"Could you just…I need to see your face." Lexi noticed Ziva turn her head back.

"Do you hear anything?" She mouthed.

"Gibbs told everyone, huh?" At her nod of assent, Lexi continued, "I could hear at least pieces of sounds before. Now, there's nothing, just silence. So, Dad is yelling at Gibbs then?"

The left side of Ziva's lip turned up slightly, before she nodded.

Ziva then said, very slowly, "They are also getting the paperwork filled out so we can be moved to a safe house."

"Gibbs' gut?" The nod allowed me to continue. "How long?"

"It will be a couple of hours, I believe."

Ziva turned to the door and said something, but Lexi didn't know what, seeing as she looked at someone else. Seconds later, her father rounded the corner, and walked straight to her. He gently put a peck on her head, before effectively mouthing 'I love you.'

"I love you too Daddy." Tony almost jumped back for a second. "You don't have to yell Kid."

"Sorry. I didn't tell them anything dad. I promise. They asked and asked about Ziva, but I didn't say a word."

Tony smiled, proud that his daughter was so strong. Soon his smile fell though. "Why didn't you tell me you can't hear?"

Alexis stared hard at his lips, "Can you slow it down a bit?" Somehow Tony suddenly remembered a dozen times his daughter had asked him to talk slower. How had he not known that something was wrong?

He repeated, and she sighed, "I knew you'd ask me how it happened dad."

Lexi wondered if her dad had been taking lessons from his Boss on that penetrating glare.

"My step-father got really mad one night when I told him I wanted to get off the base and go back home to my friends. He deafened me, but they said it would be progressive. I guess it finally all went away now after struggling with it for almost 4 years."

They settled into a nice long conversation with Tony eventually grabbing some paper to help her understand him.

Alexis swallowed the lump that had been forming in her throat, "Dad, when are you going to ask Ziva to marry you. She's going to have your baby and you love her."

The smile on her father's face fell, "Do you think you're ready for that?"

"I think they deserve to have you close. You've known Ziva longer than me and you love her."

"I'm not the marrying type."

"Mom said you were at one time, at least that's what Braedon told her when she came back to find you."

Tony looked at his daughter, "If I would've known about you…"

"I know dad," she said, "But I don't think Ziva's going to be like my mom. Sure, I want to keep you for myself and I know it's selfish and I shouldn't but don't let me stop you from doing what you want. I'm well on my way to fifteen. I can take care of myself. The baby can't."

Gibbs's head popped in before he could answer, and they went to go sign some papers as Ziva and Uncle Timmy came in with a nurse to help Lexi into a chair. They were all going to the safe house.

Ziva, Tim, Abby, Palmer, Ducky, Gibbs, Tony and Lexi piled into their prospective cars and headed to the safest place any of them knew: Gibbs's house.

Lexi knew she needed to suck up all the selfishness she had to talk to Ziva. She didn't want someone to be her new mom. She didn't want someone to take her dad away. Most of all, she didn't want to end up alone and scared again.

The truth was that she couldn't be selfish here. There were men out there who could do to her little brother/sister like her step-father had hurt her, killed her mom.

Ziva was a good lady, strong too, but Lexi knew her mom had been strong.

So, Lexi knew exactly what she had to do.


	9. Marry Him

I own nothing just so you know.

You're reviews, alert, and favorites are appreciated. I'm glad to know that you are happy with this story.

Sorry for the wait, but with finals and papers and stuff, I've been preoccupied.

_**NCIS**_

Ziva didn't understand why, but Lexi had just asked her to come see her, without Tony. In the little time she had known the girl she had never been around her without Tony in sight.

Why did Lexi want to talk to her anyway?

More importantly, she had faced down terrorists, so why did her stomach feel so strange talking to a 14 year old girl?

Ziva stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. The room was fairly bare, considering it was a safe house, but Lexi was still hooked to an IV, and stuck in a hospital bed.

The day before Abby had helped her get up and get to the bathroom on her own, for the first time since the surgery.

Lexi held out a whiteboard, while there was a marker and eraser on the bed next to her. "Uncle Tim gave me this until Abby and Gibbs can teach everyone how to speak in sign language. Everyone talks too fast for me to read lips forever."

Ziva took the board from the girl, staring intently, "What did you want to talk about, Lexi?"

"You love Tony, right?" Ziva was taken aback by the question. Did she love Tony? She loved him before Vance separated them all. She loved him when they spent that night together so many months ago. She had been hurt when he hadn't sent anything to her.

"Yes," Ziva whispered while nodding.

"Ask him to marry you." There weren't a lot of things that shocked the Mossad assassin, but Tony's

daughter, a lot like Tony, kept her guessing. She had never expected that. In fact, she had expected her to say something along the lines of stay away from my dad.

"Men are supposed to ask women, yes?" she wrote on the board.

"He won't set himself up to be hurt again. You have to do it."

"What do you mean?"

"You don't know what happened between him and mom, Ziva."

Ziva had no idea how to tell the girl that she did not really want to know. It was painful to think that he had ever loved anyone but her. She knew it was ridiculous. She had watched quietly while Jeanne crushed his heart. Jeanne had been hurt. Ziva could understand that, but it still hurt watching Tony go through that.

Her silence was all the answer Lexi needed to begin the story, "Mom and dad dated for three years, when mom got pregnant. Mom knew that dad was not exactly one to commit. She knew his family had never been there for him and had never seen a truly functional relationship. Mom left one night, pregnant, and didn't tell him anything.

After Grandma refused to help and she'd had time to digest that she was pregnant, she went back to Ohio State to find dad. She couldn't find him, only talked to one of his frat brothers. Apparently, the night mom left, dad had been planning to ask her to marry him.

She never went to him, but eventually found out that he had become the man you met when you met him, the skirt-chaser. My mom wasn't perfect. She hurt him badly.

"You are really grown up Lexi."

"I had to grow up quick Ziva. I had to take care of my mom when my step-father beat her so badly she ended up in the hospital."

Ziva couldn't help but notice that Lexi didn't mention what the man had done for her, only what the bastard had done to her mom.

She looked up when Lexi started talking again, "Dad will take care of you and the baby."

Ziva finally understood, "No one is going to let this child get hurt. I will not let anyone hurt my baby."

"My mom said that too, at 2 a.m. in a hospital, after he had beaten the crap out of her because I got in trouble at school."

Ziva did not even know how to respond to that. She was almost happy when Abby burst through the doors.

"I come bearing gifts!" Abby exclaimed, holding up a present in black gift wrap and a skull sticker on the side. She looked between the woman and teenager, "Did I interrupt something?"

Ziva shook her head, eager to get out. She needed to think. Some part of her knew she should tell Tony about the conversation, but she did not know how to tell Tony this.

Ziva was about to leave, when she heard Tony's daughter yell, "Just think about it, Ziva, please."

She turned back and nodded her head, before leaving. Ziva knew she had been in love with Tony for years, but she still was not sure she was not just another of Tony's conquests.

She looked back into the room to see Abby working with Lexi on sign language again. They had spent a few hours a day on it since they had gotten her to the safe house.

Ziva walked out into the living room, hoping Tony was still at work with Gibbs and McGee, even if she sincerely doubted. Tony had been on heightened alert ever since, the men had taken Lexi.

She wanted to believe that this had nothing to do with Mossad, and that her father was not desperate enough to kidnap and torture a child to get to her.

Everything pointed to Mossad, and Ziva was not as naive as she had been with Ari. Sometimes, even now, her heart ached for the brother who had been more of a father to her than her own father, but she knew that would never happen.

Ari had been a terrorist, and she never knew just how much he hated their father.

Yet now, she was beginning to see why he hated him so much.

She had come from a family of what Tony would call monsters.

What did that make her?

Should she even have come back here?

Ziva was starting to wonder if she was putting her friends in too much danger. Ziva David was scared, not for herself, but for Tony, McGee, Abby, even Gibbs and Ducky.

For all she knew, they'd go after Palmer next.

All she knew for sure was that she had to protect this baby, one way or another.

She flipped open her throw away payphone, "Shalom, Michael. I need your help, without my father hearing about this."

He was the only person within Mossad she still trusted.


	10. Smelly Man

I own nothing just so you know.

You're reviews, alert, and favorites are appreciated. I'm glad to know that you are happy with this story.

Sorry for the wait, but with finals and papers and stuff, I've been preoccupied.

_**NCIS**_

It had been over a week since Lexi had talked to Ziva, yet neither Ziva nor her father had done anything or admitted anything. The only thing that she could tell had happened had something to do with learning to communicate again.

Abby had been teaching her, McGee and Palmer sign language while Gibbs worked with Tony and Ziva. Surprisingly, or maybe not so much, Ducky had learned sign language many years ago. Tony had told his daughter that the medical examiner had launched into a story about learning on the job while still in school at University.

Lexi had smiled sadly when her dad told her that. It was then she had realized she would never be able to hear one of his rambling stories. It saddened her more than she cared to admit.

Lexi's dad had just left and they'd had a small conversation with sign language, although not very deep stuff. They weren't quite far enough to do much without the marker board.

She laid down to rest, only to dream of the time she was kidnapped a few weeks before. She had been doing that a lot, but this dream was something else completely, something she hadn't remembered until then.

_**FLASHBACK**_

_Lexi was rocking herself, trying to ignore the growing pain in her leg. She could hear muffled voices mumbling in the back of her mind, and couldn't even begin to figure out what they were telling her about. _

_It was then that she realized that there was a second man's voice, only because if they had been the same person they would've passed out by then from lack of oxygen, speaking more frantically than Aunt Abby did when she was scared or upset. _

_She looked and could see the second man was lighter skinned than the one that now stood behind a door unseen. He had a slightly darker colored hair color as well._

_The biggest tell-tale sign of the second man was the smell though. He was wearing some kind of cologne or something that she'd never smelled before._

_And just like the smell of Axe Deodorant, it was giving her a migraine. He was either wearing way too much or it was way too strong. _

_**END FLASHBACK**_

Lexi sat straight up in her bed, and knew exactly why she had that specific memory. That scent, that specific cologne, she could smell it.

That strong smell was close, and Lexi was not waiting around to see where it came from or why she smelled it.

The teenager pulled out the IV and ignored the shooting pain running up her leg. Lexi made her way to the door, and when she opened it, the smell became much stronger.

She ignored the migraine and the pain, before grabbing the nearest and easiest weapon, which was the iron poker by the entranceway.

Lexi grabbed the iron poker slowly, trying to not making a sound even if she didn't know how quiet she was being.

The smell led her to the living room. She saw from the den, standing in the doorway, there was a man who looked like the profile she remembered and smelled the same way standing over Ziva with a gun in hand. Their mouths were moving indicating some sort of conversation, but she wasn't sure what they were talking about.

Lexi noticed her Uncle Tim laying unconscious with another man standing over him. The second man was older than smelly man, but looked to be just as lethal.

She noticed Ziva's phone just inside the doorway to the den. Apparently, they had tossed the phone away so she couldn't ask for help.

Lexi could see something was wrong with Ziva. She was holding her stomach and leaning over, trying to control the pain. Lexi had seen enough pregnant women in movies to know that she was having contractions. McGee was bleeding from his shoulder and unconscious as well.

Lexi hid behind the door, so she wouldn't be seen. She opened the phone, looking for text messaging, ignoring her mother's voice from her head saying she may have to pay for text messaging, this was too important to worry about money. She'd deal with it later.

911! MCG SHOT! 2 MEN W/ GUNS IN LR AN Z N LABOR! HELP!

She sent two messages. The first one to Gibbs, knowing he would have a more level head and the second to Jimmy in case Gibbs didn't know how to use a text message. She was tempted to send one to her father but he would run in without thinking about his own safety first. Gibbs would come up with a plan, a feasible plan, and get them all out safely.

She knew her dad had told her that there was another gun somewhere hidden in the house, but she was having trouble remembering where.

The phone vibrated and she saw Jimmy's assurance that he'd go tell Gibbs, apparently realizing why she hadn't texted her dad.

Lexi knew it was selfish, but he was the only real family she had left. She loved him. She didn't want him to die no matter what.

Lexi started searching quietly for something more dangerous than a poker. She saw pools of blood where her leg had been while she was on the phone, looking down to find a stitch undone.

She looked in the room again to see that McGee had regained consciousness and they'd moved him over next to Ziva. Ziva held no emotion on his face, but Uncle Tim's face betrayed his fear. He was smarting off though. Lexi could see the same twinkle of amusement in Ziva's eyes as they normally held with the banter between Ziva and her dad.

She knew McGee had taken some of her dad's attributes, and it was possible he was pretending to be Tony so that the men didn't think someone else would be checking on them. It would've been Ziva's idea, she knew, but McGee was doing an excellent impression of her dad.

Again, she went off to find the gun her dad had left. When she saw the record player, she remembered her father telling her about his childhood hiding place helping to solve a case in one of the stories where he mentioned Kate.

She hid herself safely behind the door, only to find the younger, smellier man holding a gun so close to her Uncle Tim's head that she could see the imprint of the barrel starting to show on her head.

Why did she keep being put in these positions? There was no telling what was going to happen when Gibbs showed up.

Gibbs had taken her to the shooting range soon after she had began living with her dad, claiming that he would not have a child of one of his agents unable to protect herself, especially if that agent was Tony "get the plague, chained to a psycho killer, car blown up several times" DiNozzo. Even she had to admit from the stories that her father was more than a bit accident prone.

So, instead of thinking more about having to grow up too fast and reflecting on the 'lessons' her step-dad had tried to ingrain on her mind, Lexi kept her attention on the process Gibbs had taught her.

Seconds later, the gun went off, lodging itself into Smelly Man's shoulder. She smiled when she saw the gun fall into her Uncle Tim's lap and him using the arm that wasn't bleeding to point it between the two men.

Ziva's eyes immediately went toward the direction the bullet came from, along with the older man who was making himself toward me, while Smelly Man struggled to get his gun back from Uncle Tim. Our eyes locked, before she doubled over from yet another contraction.

Older Man tried to talk to Lexi, apparently unaware of her deafness. He kept coming closer, and looked to be getting angrier.

Lexi simply smiled though, when she looked past Older Man to see Smelly Man unconscious, while McGee tried to help Ziva, well on her way to delivery.

Gibbs, her dad, and a man she had met once in Gibbs' basement, FBI Agent Tobias Fornell, stood pointing guns at Older Man. As soon as the man lowered his gun, she limped to her dad, barely noticing that Gibbs and Fornell stepped protectively in front of them.

She was in her dad's arms.

She was safe.

The only problem was that Ziva was in labor, a month early, and she and Tony hadn't discussed marriage.

She was safe.

Her baby brother/sister wasn't…yet…

She would find a way to fix that, somehow, if she had to kidnap them and take them to a wedding chapel in Vegas. There was no doubt that Aunt Abby would help her bully Uncle Tim and Jimmy into helping them.

Smelly Guy was dead, and no matter who Older Man was, Gibbs would make sure Ziva and Lexi were safe.

He was a marine, and marines left no man (or woman) behind.


	11. After All is Said and Done

I own nothing, just so you know.

Your reviews alerts and favorites are much appreciated. I'm glad to know that you are happy with this story.

_**NCIS**_

Tony held his daughter protectively before guiding her to the ground, eyes never leaving Ziva. He wasn't sure if she was crying because of the contractions, the hormones, or something else altogether, but for the first time, he could see Ziva was crying. She kept muttering something.

"I'm fine dad! Go check on Ziva."

He stopped for a second before gently kissing his daughter's forehead and walking over to McGee and Ziva.

"McGeek, could you go check on Lexi for a minute?"

McGee took the hint and stood, "Sure Tony." He then began to walk over and sit with his 'niece'.

Ziva pushed through the next contraction clinging desperately to Tony's hand.

She whispered to Tony through the pain and tears, "I trusted him."

Tony thought for a minute, trying to figure out who Ziva could be talking about it. It couldn't be her father, especially after everything had transpired. He looked up to see Fornell and Gibbs walking him away in cuffs.

"Who are you talking about?"

"Michael," she breathed. Tony looked over to the man his Probie had shot just before he came in with Gibbs and Fornell.

"Who is…was he?" He could only admit to himself how much it hurt that it wasn't him that she trusted.

"My partner at Mossad, and I was sure that he was the only person in Mossad I could trust…"

"So you called him…"

"To protect you and your daughter…"

"And what about you Zi? Who was going to protect you?"

"I can take," Ziva took in a huge breath to help her body prepare for the next contraction, "care of myself, Tony."

Tony pulled her into his arms, letting her squeeze his hand as much as was necessary. No matter if she loved him or not, he loved her. Ziva was hurting and in labor with his kid, another child to take care of and protect.

Looking over at his daughter signing with Gibbs to give her statement, Tony tried to ignore the panic that rose in his chest at the thought of being a father to a teenager and a baby. He pushed the fear away. His family needed him.

He watched as the paramedics came in groups of two. One pair made their way to Ziva and him, while one began to look at the gunshot wound in McGee's shoulder and the torn stitch in his daughter's leg.

The final pair declared 'Michael' dead, and put him in a body bag to take to Ducky and Palmer, who were waiting anxiously for it.

He got into the ambulance with Ziva, after Gibbs assured him he'd stay with Tim and Lexi.

All he could do was smile, though, because Gibbs had told him that his gut said everything would work out all right, and if there was anyone or anything he trusted in this world, it was Gibbs and his infamous gut.

_**NCIS**_

_Dear Diary, _

_I know I haven't written in a while, but I wanted to let you know what was going on with me, dad, and the rest of the family. _

_Here goes nothing, or everything, depending on the way you look at it, but I digress. (That's a world I heard Ducky say a lot and looked it up. It's a pretty cool word, even if I don't know how to sign it yet.)_

_I'm getting pretty good at that, sign language, I mean. Dad and the rest of the gang have done well learning it too._

_Anyway, here's the sitch, (I heard it on a TV show; I must really be my father's daughter.) Uncle Probie and I are pretty much better now, there are still some issues, but we're working our way to the land of the uninjured._

_Michael Rivkin and Eli David didn't have the same luck. Michael died from McGee's gunshot. Eli, on the other hand, had been on the wrong end of dad, Gibbs, and Aunt Abby's wrath. After a session with them, although I'm not quite sure how, he promised to leave Ziva alone, along with the unborn child._

_You don't want to hear about that though, I'm sure. You want to hear about my cute little sibling, huh?_

_7 lb 8 oz boy and perfectly healthy to boot. Mom and dad named him Caden Roy DiNozzo-David after Kate Todd and Roy after a man Ziva had fallen in love with at one point. Dad called him the 'dead man walking'._

_He's two months old now and the cutest little baby ever._

_Dad and Ziva moved us all into a house after a –might I say successful- plan put together by me, Uncle Tim, and Aunt Abby._

_Furthermore, another great word from Palmer this time, Dad and Ziva are officially getting married. As I've gotten to know Ziva over the last few months, I've come to find that she's as amazing as Dad ever said._

_Uncle Tim proposed to Abby yesterday afternoon, at NCIS, and Gibbs walked in on it. Uncle Probie was going to be doing scut-work for a month, according to dad and Ziva. In fact, quoting Ziva, "Abby will always be the favorite. He may be doing scut-work for the next year._

_It's only Gibbs' way of telling the soon-to-be McGee family that he won't stand for them hurting each other, but he told me not to tell anyone so shhh…._

_Ziva had made the button flash that meant she needed help, (McGee set it up.) usually with the baby, so I'm going to go._

_Later_

_**NCIS**_

Ziva rocked Cade to sleep, as she heard Lexi and Tony make their way to her. She had thought a lot about everything that Lexi had told her two months ago, and what she knew about Tony otherwise.

They both came in, worried from her earlier yell for attention.

"You will never do it, will you Tony?" She watched the puzzlement on his face with amusement, before watching a smile spread across Lexi's face and she did a very good impression of Abby when she'd had one too many Caf-Pows.

"Tony, we need to create a home, yes?"

Tony still looked at _his_ crazy ninja-chick puzzled, nodding slowly.

"I love you, my little hairy-butt." Lexi could tell she was trying to convince him to ask her.

"I love you too, sweet cheeks, but what is this about?"

"Tony, will you marry me?

"You're asking me to marry you?" Tony looked at her with an amused glint in his eyes, and Ziva knew she was missing something.

Tony sent a look to his daughter, who winked back at him.

"That's kind of funny, because…" Tony walked over to his bag from NCIS, pulling out something and handing it to Ziva. I was just waiting to ask Gibbs, since there's no way that I'm asking your father if I could marry you.

Ziva smiled brightened greatly when she saw the diamond engagement ring, and went to hug her now fiancé.

"You didn't look at it all Ziva." Lexi said from her side of the room.

She looked at the piece of paper, confused, "Adoption papers?"

"I love my mom, and no one could ever take her place, but if anything ever happens to dad I want to stay with you. I don't plan for it to happen but it could." Lexi said.

Tony finished, "So, it may be twisted, but can we make a real family?"

Ziva smiled, "I would love that."

And they all lived happily ever after…not really, but what do you expect….It's….

_**NCIS**_

_Sorry it took so long, but I knew this was the last chapter and it still wrapped up better than I wanted it to, and is kind of on a Lifetime level, but the 4__th__ and 5__th__ rewrites still weren't quite as good as the this one._

_Sorry if it's too sappy, but that was kind of the point of this one any way._


End file.
